Sue Nichols, who worked in visual development on Beauty and the Beast, wrote that it was her idea to give Belle a female confidante, who eventually took the form of Mrs. Potts; she explained that the young woman needed female support to “eventually feel safe enough to fall in love” with the Beast

“I was somewhat frustrated, I have always loved period dramas and my friends were in these gorgeous-looking Jane Austen adaptations. I would be like, ‘I have all of this training, when will I get a chance to explore that side?’”